Double-action door holder



H. E. DUNLAP DOUBLE-ACTION DOOR HOLDER Oct. 2, 1951 Filed July 26, 1950 4 w /{r1 mm m Jaw/w 7;? Z a Patented Oct. 2, 1951 UN ITED" PATENT OF F ICE,

' assasoa no/Uncommon nooRnoIln'ER Harper rn imlap, Walledi'L'ake;-Mich. unreasonably-2t, lssofserialnoz 175940 (oi.- 1'6--s5) 1 2 Claims.

This invention "relates to door holders. One object ofthis invention is to provide a double-action door holder which; when the door is nearing its closed position, will urgethe 'door into its "closed position but whichywhen-the-dooris nearin its open position, will also urge the 'door'into its open position.

Another object isto *provideja door holder *of the foregoing character which 'is of simple and inexpensive construction and which'-preferably employs 'a' single spring for "both theoutward and inwarddoor-urging actions:

Another object is to provide *adouble-action doorh'older of the foregoing'char'acter which has 'a swinging rod' which also slides through a pivot "member, such as a screw *eyeyand" swings 'over a .dead center positionon" oneside I of 'wh1ch 'it"'urges the door closed and -on the other side thereof urges the door'open";

Inthedrawing: I Figure 1 is a top planviewfpartlyfiidhorizo 'tal (section, of a double-"actiondoorholder "according to one form of the invention, in the closed position of *the door and taken along the line "I inFigure 3 Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure *1; but showing the "position of the door holder in the open position of the door;

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken along the 'l-ine=3-3 in Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a top plan viewof the spring used in the double-"action door holder of Figures 1 to 3 .inclusive, shown in its relaxed position removed from the door holder.

Referring to the drawing in 'detail,Figures" 1 to 3 inclusive show a double-action door holder, generally designated l0, as applied to a door or other closure II which is hinged as at [2 to a door frame or door opening structure I 3 so as to urge the door I either into the closed position of Figure l or into the open position of Figure The door II has been illustrated as swinging outwardly in a horizontal direction from a door frame 13, but it will be understood that the door Il may consist of any suitable closure, such as a box lid, cabinet or cupboard door or the like.

The door holder [0 consists of a screw eye I! which is threaded as at I5 into the door H a short distance from the axis of the hinge pin l6 of the hinge [2. A second screw eye I! is threaded upwardly as at It into the lintel l9 of the door frame [3 (Figure 3). A push rod is passed through the screw eye I] and has an approximately S-shaped bent end portion 2| passing through the eye of the screw eye 14 and the screw eye to make the screw"eitefenterlthe gap "29.

f .from one end to ,screw eye I1, and the ring spring 24 'hooked into the slot 26 in the push 2|. The helical spring and rearward portions 21 having a hookedend portion zz rojectiogibeyon'dfth'e screw eye I4 and serving as 'an an'ehor agefor the ring-shapedend "2'3 of'a helical tnsion spring 24, the opposite ring-shapedendfl being anchored in a slot 26 in' the end of -the push 'rod2ll opposite "the Sashaped-end portion 24 isflivided intoiorward and 28" respectively by a gap 29 across which "one of the convolutions 30 of the spring 24--passes(Fig iirefll.

gap' 29 is preferably formed inthespring diiri ng its manufacture. This gap -29 'is' -very slight and may be formed by stretching the sprinigat this point beyond its el'asticlimit before="heattreating.

I I 4 (Figure 3) to aligneye '42 wlthrod 20.

In the installation ofthe double-iactionidoor .holder of the present invention, the operator first installs the screw eye I1 at a' sufiicient distance from the side of the door frame 13 andslightly inward from its edge. The gapTZBpYthespring 24 isthen placed into coincidence with the'screw eye I! by pushing the spring "24 relativelylito The forked end 26'ofthe pus'hrodfZll is then passed entirely through thesprihg"24 the other and also through the portion jl25f'of ithc rod 29, tensioning the spring portion 28 of the spring 24. The screw eye [4 is then mounted in the door on substantially the same level as the screw eye I! slightly inward from the inner edge of the door. The door screw eye [4 is then held in a vertical position while the bent end 3! of the push rod 20 is inserted through this screw eye, after which the screw eye I4 is turned into a horizontal position to lock the bent end 2| in position. The operator then hooks the ring por. tion 23 of the spring 24 over the hook portion 22 on the S-shaped bent end 2! of the push rod 20, tensioning the spring portion 21.

In the operation of the invention, let it be assumed that the double-action door holder ID has been installed in the manner described above and that the door or other closure H has been closed (Figure 1). In this position, the spring portions 21 and 28 exert pulls upon the opposite ends or acting one another and II in its open position.

termediate the screw eye .is in the same radius from portion 28 overbalances suits in a' different difier'ent doors. effect of a friction catch or detent is variable, 1 whereasthe action of substantially constant the push rod 20 toward the screw eye I! where the spring 24 is anchored by the connecting portion or convolution 30. Since the spring portion 28 is stretched out much farther than the spring portion 21 in this position of the door II, the spring portion 28 will exert the greater pull, hence will overbalance the opposite pull of the spring portion 21 and as a result will push the push rod 20 toward the left, forcing its bent end 2| to push againstv the screw eye l4 and hold the door closed.

If, on the other hand, the operator now pulls the dOOr open, and in so doing swings the push rod 20 over a line A-D-B interconnecting the 7 axis of the hinge pin l6 and the axis of the shank of the screw eye M, the spring portion 21 will become more greatly tensioned and the spring portion 28 somewhat less tensioned. Under these circumstances, the spring portions 21 and 28 will exert equal pulls in opposite directions, counterhence holdin the door The point D located in- II and the hinge pin it the axis of the hinge pin l6 as the point of contact of the bent rod end 21 with the screw eye M from the hinge pin 16, and is therefore the dead center position.

- When the door is swung inward from the Figure 2 position toward the line A-B, so long as it remains on the outer side of the line A--B it will spring outward when released. If, however, this -contact point passes over the line A-B, and

hence over the dead center point D, the spring the spring portion 21 and the door is pulled into its closed position. It will be obvious that this contact point in the I; closed position of the door, must be insid the .line A-B.

It will be seen that the door can be pulled outward beyond its position of equilibrium in Figure 2 without damage door will always open to the door. Moreover, the with an even pull, in confriction catches or detents, which repull being necessary to open In other words, the retarding trast to the present door holder is for door holders with the same construction and employing similar springs 24. Finally, the present door holder is substantially independent of gravity so that when a door is hung out of plumb, for example, gravity will not close or open it.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as applied to a wood door mounted in a wood door frame,

it will be obvious thatit may Number equally well be applied to a metallic dOOr merely by substituting a base or mounting plate which carries either screw eye and is secured to the door or door frame, as the case may be. The invention may be applied to verticallyswinging doors, such as garage doors, as well as to horizontally swinging doors. Thus, the invention protects both the door and its hinges and the door holder from damage by swinging the door or other closure too widely open.

What I claim is:

l. A double-action door holder for attachment between a door frame and a door, comprising an eye member attachable to the door, a second eye member attachable to the door frame, a push rod pivotally engaging one of said eye members and slidably engaging the other eye member, and a tension springhaving its opposite ends secured to the opposite ends of said rod and having an intermediate portion thereof secured to said door frame eye member, said rod passing substantially through the center of said spring and substantially along the axis thereof, said spring having a pair of spaced tension portions with a gap therebetween adapted to receive said door frame eye member.

2. A double-action door holder for attachment between a door frame and a door, comprising an eye member attachable to the door, a second eye member attachable to the door frame, a push rod having a bent end portion pivotally engaging one of said eye members and'slidably engaging the other. eye member, and a tension spring having its opposite ends secured to the opposite ends of said rod and having. an intermediate portion thereof secured to said door frame eye member, said rod passing substantially through the center of said spring and substantially alon the axis thereof, said bent end portion having a hook portion thereon adapted to receive one of said opposite ends of said spring, said rod having a slotted end portion adapted to receive one of said opposite ends of said spring, said spring having a pair of spaced tension portions with a gap therebetween adapted to receive said door frame eye 7 member. 7

l HARPER E. DUNLAP.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: v j

UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 Name- Date 1,605,40 0 Garskeet alhj- Nov. 2,1926 

